If you’ve recently acquired some chickens for your homestead or backyard, no doubt you are anxious to start making those omelettes! But, the time it takes to get to the egg laying stage can vary depending on what kind of chickens you’ve got. So, at what age do easter eggers start laying?
Q: “When Do Easter Egger Chickens Start Laying Eggs?”
A: Fortunately, like most chickens, easter eggers laying age should start laying at 18 – 20 weeks of age. However, this may depend on some other external factors as described below. (So, keep reading!)
What color eggs do Easter Eggers lay?
The color of the eggs you receive will vary depending on the “kind of easter egger” you’ve purchased. That’s because the easter egger is not really a breed of chicken. It’s actually a chicken which carries the “gene” required to lay those beautiful eggs.
Easter eggers of whatever type are descendants of the Ameraucanas, a breed of chicken from Chile which lays blue eggs. Though the eggs you get from an “easter egger” can run the gambit of blue, green, and even pink! They are also quite good layers and you could get up to 250 eggs per year from one chicken, which is pretty great.
Since there is not really a “breed standard” for easter eggers, that also means that the adult chickens you hatch could end up looking very different from each other. Most people think this is fun and enjoy the surprise, but if you were expecting a uniform breed you could be a bit disappointed and might prefer a “heritage” breed instead.
What Do I Do If My Chickens Don’t Lay Any Eggs?
If your chickens are past 18 to 20 weeks and they are not laying, there could be an issue you need to resolve. Below you’ll find a few tips for making sure that your chickens are ready for laying.
Make sure your animals aren’t stressed
Stressed chickens may refuse to lay eggs. What do your hens have to worry about? Well, if they don’t feel safe from predators, or even if the weather is bad they may not lay. Start by making sure their pens are secure and that they aren’t either too cold or too hot. You may also want to check and make sure they do not have mite infestations, which can also stress birds. If you’ve just gotten an older bird then you may need to wait for them to become comfortable before they will lay any eggs for you.
Make sure they are getting enough nutrients
Laying eggs takes a lot out of a bird! If your hens do not have the nutrients they require then they won’t risk laying eggs and depleting themselves. Offering a food with 16 – 22% protein is a good start, but you should also make sure they are getting enough calcium and other nutrients too.
Make sure they aren’t just hiding the eggs from you
It’s possible that your chickens ARE laying eggs and you just have not found them. Chickens can be pretty sneaky and they will run off to lay eggs in all kinds of strange places. Watch your birds and see where they go. Look for quiet, dark places which could be harboring secret nests. You could actually have a lot of eggs.. and maybe even a lot of extra chickens if you don’t find them quick enough!
In closing, while chicken keeping seems like it shouldn’t be that hard, there are a lot of little things that can trip you up. But, if you make sure that you’re caring for your chickens properly, having a healthy, happy flock is a sure fire way to get on your way to collecting lots of delicious, farm fresh eggs from your birds.
However, easter eggers are still an excellent low maintenance farm animal to add to your homestead! It just takes a bit of learning how to care for them properly.
Tanya, both a nurturing stay-at-home mom and a skilled crafter, is the creative force behind our blog. As the co-founder of Romney Ridge Farms & Crafts, she’s the editor and curator. She also runs the Romney Ridge Farms & Crafts social media accounts where we post new patterns for you to enjoy.
